How to keep Republicans out of Congress? Ask Hank.

Democrat Hank Johnson of Georgia says the Congress has to limit how much companies are allowed to spend on political campaigns – or else more Republicans will get elected.

On Thursday, the House passed the so-called Disclose Act in a close 219-206 vote. The bill wouldn’t actually restrict corporate spending, but it would impose a host of rules that would discourage such behavior. Democrats are pushing the bill in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that lifted some prior campaign-finance rules.

Since the 1970s Democrats have strongly supported measures to restrict spending on campaigns, arguing that the political process and democracy itself would be corrupted by too much money. Yet during debate on the bill, Johnson openly acknowledged another reason that most Democrats are reluctant to admit publicly.

“Let’s get right down to it. Why are the Republicans opposed to restricting campaign donations to American campaigns – local state and federal. Why?” Johnson asked. “It’s because Republicans favor big business and big business favors Republicans. With all of these unlimited dollars flowing through, we’ll see more Republicans getting elected.”

Prospects for final passage of the bill are uncertain, partly because of exemptions Democrats carved out for the conservative National Rifle Association as well as liberal-leaning labor unions. House leaders evidently believed the bill would fail in their chamber unless they neutralized the politically powerful NRA.

Yet Republicans appear unified in their opposition in the Senate, and some Senate Democrats are put off by the NRA exemption.

In an odd twist, the NRA has ticked off many conservatives who are normally allies of the organization. They say the NRA should have stood up for free speech and helped kill the bill.